Listed below
are definitions for some of the more challenging terms used in the
Action for the Environment Kit. Boost your environmental-vocabulary
by reading on!
 |
Ready, Set, Recycle! |
- Landfill
- An area where garbage is managed by burying it under layers in the
ground.
- Recycle
- To turn waste materials into items that can be used again.
- Redemption
centre
- The place where you return your beverage containers to be sorted
for recycling. Upon return, a portion of the original bottle deposit($)
is refunded.
 |
School
Ground Greening |
- Greening
- Taking steps to strengthen the environment. For example, greening
your yard by planting trees.
- Green
space
- A grassy area or a space containing plant life.
- Idling
of vehicles
- When a parked vehicle is left running and exhaust is being released
into the air.
 |
Be
Energy Efficient |
- Climate
change
- Human activities are altering the atmosphere through the build-up
of greenhouse gases. This is resulting in changes to our climate,
including a rise in global temperatures and more frequent extreme
weather events.
- Energy
- The ability to do work. When we refer to the environment we usually
mean light, heat, electricity and the chemical energy found in fossil
fuels.
- Energy
consumption
- A measure of the amount of energy used.
- Fossil
fuels
- Ancient fuels that, when burned, produce energy.
- Natural
resources
- Materials that occur in nature such as wood and coal.
- Pollution
- Occurs when poisons are released into the air, land and/or water
making it unclean and causing harm to the environment.
- Renewable
energy
- Power, like wind and water, that can be used over and over again.
 |
Be
Host to Compost! |
- Compost
- Rich, earthy smelling, soil-like substance made from disposed waste
like food items and plant life.
- Compost
bin
- A bin or closed-in structure that holds compost materials.
- Compost
materials
- Compost materials are items such as leaves and apple cores (browns
and greens) that are suitable for the compost bin.
- Decompose
- To decompose means to breakdown or decay, like an apple would in
a compost bin. Tiny organisms work within a compost bin to naturally
decompose materials.
 |
Take
Action on Climate Change |
- Greenhouse
gases:
- Gases, such as carbon dioxide, that trap the heat from the sun in
the Earth’s atmosphere causing the Earth to get warmer.
|
